MAE: Melescanu sends Hungarian counterpart ''appeal to moderation'' in public statements of Budapest officials

Foreign Affairs Minister Teodor Melescanu conveyed on Tuesday to his Hungarian counterpart, Peter Szijjarto, "an appeal to moderation and restraint" in the public statements of the officials in Budapest, showing that lately these "have artificially inflamed the Romanian-Hungarian dialogue." According to a press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) for AGERPRES, the two officials met on the sidelines of the informal meeting of OSCE countries' foreign ministers, in Strbske Pleso, Slovakia. ''On the occasion of this meeting, Minister Teodor Melescanu conveyed to his Hungarian counterpart an appeal to moderation and restraint in the public statements of Budapest officials, showing that lately these statements have artificially inflamed the Romanian-Hungarian dialogue," mentions MAE. Minister Teodor Melescanu pointed out that "only open and pragmatic bilateral communication, in line with the European and Euro-Atlantic values and with the Strategic Partnership between Romania and Hungary, can lead to the resolution, through dialogue, of situations of any kind," MAE informs. According to the Hungarian news agency MTI, Peter Szijjarto has discussed with his Romanian counterpart the recently adopted Administrative Code in Romania and the situation of the World War I cemetery in the Valea Uzului. In connection with the Administrative Code, Szijjarto has asked Melescanu to take measures to guarantee that a provision on minority rights is introduced into the law, reads a press release issued by the Foreign Ministry in Budapest, MTI informs. The provision would guarantee to minorities that they can use their mother tongue even if their community represents less than 20pct of the region's population, the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. Szijjarto also urged Melescanu to help facilitate consultations between experts from both countries on the Valea Uzului cemetery and to hold a joint visit to the site as soon as possible. According to the MTI, Peter Szijjarto stressed, in the discussion with Melescanu, the intention of the Hungarian government that bilateral relations be relaunched on the basis of mutual respect and develop in a positive effort. AGERPRES (RO - author: Oana Ghita, editor: Georgiana Tanasescu; EN - author: Bogdan Gabaroi, editor: Simona Iacob)